The seven capital projects and ten expense projects on the ballot were presented at a Project Expo held at the Park Slope Library in early April. Council Member Lander’s district includes Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, and Kensington.

More than 7,500 residents voted—the most PBNYC votes the district has ever received, the Council Member noted. “Each year, PBNYC reminds us about the good we can do when we come together with our neighbors, across lines of difference, roll up our sleeves, and get involved,” he said in the announcement. “It is grassroots democracy at its very best: Open to all, for the good of us all.”

The 5 winning expense projects that will share $50,000 in funding are:

Project: Diaper Changing Stations for Parks & Playgrounds
Location: Nine locations across the district
Cost: $6,500
Description: Many of the district’s public restrooms in parks and playgrounds lack diaper changing stations. Installing these in public restrooms of all genders will make diaper changing safer and more sanitary for children and caregivers.

Council Member Brad Lander at the District 39 Participatory Budgeting Project Expo, April 2, 2019 (Photo: Megan Conn)

Project: Sewing Circles for Survivors of Domestic Violence
Location: Kensington
Cost: $10,000
Description: This program would provide five group sessions, led by trauma-informed therapists, to help Bangladeshi women in the community share their experiences, learn where they can get help, and heal.

Project: Train Spanish-Speaking Teens to be Educators
Location: One World Project, Windsor Terrace
Cost: $16,000
Description: Train and hire nine Spanish-speaking teens as “Counselors-in-Training” (CITs) at the One World Project (OWP) for six weeks. CITs learn about child development and teaching, and work with children in the OWP summer program.

Project: “Down Payment” for Elevator at 7th Ave F/G Station
Location: 7th Avenue & 9th Street
Cost: $250,000
Description: Allocate funds toward construction of an elevator to make the first accessible subway station in District 39.

Project: Give 1,000 Elementary School Kids at P.S. 58 a Decent Playground
Location: P.S. 58 The Carroll School
Cost: $500,000
Description: P.S. 58 is one of the last elementary schools in the district—if not the last—to have a plain, unshaded, tarmac for a playground. The playground is also extremely exposed to foot traffic on Smith Street, leading to unauthorized interactions between passersby and students. The school community requests that a privacy barrier be installed.

Project: P.S. 130: New Flooring for Safer Environment
Location: P.S. 130 Lower School
Cost: $600,000
Description: New tile floors for the second through fifth stories which have damaged tiles with holes and exposed flooring—a hazard for both staff, teachers, and students.

PBNYC is a city program that allows residents to vote on $1 million to $1.5 million in projects developed by community members. In Council Member Lander’s District 39, in addition to the $1.5 million allotted for capital projects, an additional $50,000 is set aside for expense projects. PBNYC gives New Yorkers the opportunity to gather, brainstorm, research, develop, and vote for projects that improve their neighborhoods. Learn more about PBNYC here.

To track the progress of former PBNYC winning projects in District 39, click here.

1 COMMENT

I’m really bummed right now to learn that two of the wealthiest schools in D15 are the recipients of almost $650k in funding for unnecessary extras that could go to high poverty schools. I understand what participatory budget voting is but this really rubs me the wrong way. Surely the PTA at PS58 is wealthy enough to raise most of that money on their own. And $140k to rehab a bathroom at MS51? Once again the people with the most money know how to work the system. MS51 received a very large grant last year to install air conditioning. I didn’t really have a problem with that, but Brad likes to talk about hoarding privilege and here we have it.